Multifunctional Material Composed of Cesium Salt of Keggin-Type Heteropolytungstate and PtRh/Vulcan Nanoparticles for Electrochemical Oxidation of 2-Propanol in Acidic Medium

Abstract

Platinum–rhodium nanoparticles modified with cesium salt of phosphotungstic acid, CsPTA, have been tested for electro-oxidation of 2-propanol in acidic medium. The resulting Pt-based nanoparticle-containing materials have been carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and different electrochemical techniques combining with differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS). The experimental results such as cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry exhibit that films on carbon electrodes composed of CsPTA-modified PtRh/Vulcan nanoparticles improve the catalytic activity, in terms of potential and current densities recorded during electro-oxidation of 2-propanol, relative to the CsPTA-free PtRh/Vulcan nanoparticles. Particularly, the boost in the catalytic current densities is observed at low potential value (below 0.25 V vs. RHE). The differential electrochemical mass spectrometry measurements were utilized to recognize the reaction intermediates as well as products created during the electro-oxidation of 2-propanol. The results indicate that contributions from a straightforward oxidation of 2-propanol to CO2 are small in comparison to acetone yield.